Improvement in button-holing attachments for sevving-machines



UNITED ,STATES PATENT OEEICE.

SAMUEL J. BAIRD, OF WAYNESBOROUGH, VIRGINIA.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 117,364, (lated July25, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL J. BAIRD, of Waynesborough, in the county ofAugusta and State of Virginia, have invented certain Improvements in myButton-Hohn g Attachment for SewingMachines patented December 14, 1869,of which the following is a specification:

My invention relates to improvements in a device heretofore patented byme for attachment to the work-plate of a sewing-machine to convert thelatter into a machine for overseaming or working button-holes; and myimprovements, which are too fully described hereafter to need particularexplanation here, have been designed with theview of rendering themachine less expensive, more reliable, easily manipulated by unskilledpersons, and more efficient.

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my improved attachment forlsewing-machines; Fig. 2, a plan view of part of the machine; Figs. 3,et, 7 and 8, detached views; Figs. 5 and l0, views, showingmodifications; Fig. 6, a transverse section on the line l 2, Fig. l,looking in the direction of the arrow; and Fig. 9, section on the line 3et, Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrow.

The attachment consists essentially of a frame or casing adapted forattachment to the workplate of a sewing-machine, a carrier to which thefabric may be secured, and devices for imparting to the carrier (fromsome moving portion of the sewing-machine) themovements necessary tocarry the entire edge of a buttonvhole in the fabric past or beneath theneedle. In its general features this attachment is similar to thatpatented by meon the 14th day of December, 1869; but l have altered andimproved the detail\to render the whole more efficient, as will appearfrom the following description:

The case T is L-shaped, andv its base is extended to form a projectingplate, V in which is an opening, w1, Fig. 2, for the passage of thefeedpoints, and a hole, e, for the passage of the needle of asewing-machine, to the work-plate of which, in the present instance, theattachment is secured by screws passing through slots 7c l in flangesprojecting from the sides of the case. The carrier consists of a clamp,A a sliding bar, H, to which the clamp is attached, a lever, M, in agroove of which the bar H slides, and which vibrates on a pin, o',extending through the bottom of the case, and a box or sleeve, K, whichdescend opposite the said edge.

incloses the rear end of the lever M and vibrates horizontally in thehorizontal portion of the case T. The clamp A consists of a lowerslotted plate, a', and an upper slotted plate, W, having ribs a2,adapted to the grooves or recesses in the plate x, and parallel flangesx3, which extend into the slot in the lower plate so as to press thefabric (clamped between said plates) down upon the work-plate of themachine. Through a projection of the plateW passes a square standard',YV', on the lower plate, and on the threaded upper end of this standardturns a nut, c, into an annular recess in which extend lugs on theprojecting portion of the plate W, so that, as the nut is raised orlowered, the'plate W will be carried with it, the said plate WV beingmaintained always in a position parallel to the lower plate, so that thefabric will be firmly clamped at every part instead of at one side only,as is the case when the upper plate does not move parallel to the lower.The plate W has hooked projections c c, adapted to L-shaped recesses inthe enlarged end of the bar H; and to the latter is hung a cam-lever, a,by which the clamp may be secured in its position when adjusted, asshown in Fig. 2, or may be released when desired. On the face of theplate W, near each end of the slot, are pins ff, for a purpose describedhereafter.

- It is necessary to impart to the carrier two movements, and for it tobe capable of one adjustment.

The first or reciprocating movement is that by which the fabric iscarried first beneath the needle, so that the latter will penetrate itnear the edge, and then laterally, so that the needle will This movementof the carrier is derived from the screw-shaft o, which has its rearbearing in an adjustable block, R', hung to the horizontal portion ofthe case T', and secured in its position by a set-screw, g3, and itsfront bearing in the vertical portion of said case, within which aredevices (described hereafter) for imparting to the shaft an intermittentrotary motion. Near the rear end of the shaft is a camprojection, s,which, as it strikes first one side and then the other of a forkedprojection, It, on the box K, imparts to the latter a lateralreciprocating movement, causing the lever M to vibrate on its pin o andthe fabric to move first beneath and then to one side of the path of theneedle, as before described. After one edge of the button-hole has beenbound it is necessary to move the carrier laterally so as to bring theopposite edge within the path ofthe needle. This is accomplished byadjusting the lever M to one side or the other of the box K, whichadjustment may be effected in various ways. In the present instance apin, a, projects from the lever M into a diagonal slot, m, in a plate,L, (sliding in or forming a part of the lower side of the box K,) sothat, as the said plate is moved longitudinally, the lever M will beadjusted to one or other side of the box. The sliding` movement of theplate L is effected by means of a cam-lever, N, a pin, q, of whichprojects into a slot, r, of such a form that the lateral play of thelever is not interfered with.

The second or longitudinal movement of the fabric is effected byimparting to the bar II a sliding motion on the lever M, the said barbeing carried forward or backward with nut P, fitted to .and operated bythe screw-shaft o, and eX- tending into a recess in the bar H. The slotin'- to which the nut I) projects is of such a shape as to permit thefree lateral vibration of the bar H without allowing the latter anylongitudinal movement independent of the nut.

The devices for imparting the desired movements to the screw-cam andshaft 0 are contained within the vertical portion of the case f", andare as follows: A shaft, t, extending across the ca-se, has at one end atoothedvheel, E, which engages with a pinion, F, on the inner end of thescrew-shaft o. A double-toothed wheel, D, turns with but slides on theshaft t, and is operated by teeth on a slide, A, the latter beingprovided 'with an arm or pitman, B, by which it may be connected to theneedle-arm, or to a lcver operated from some moving part of asewing-machine, a reciprocating vertical motion in the case being thusimparted to the slide. Each section of the double wheel has an oddnumber (five in the present instance) of arms or teeth, and the twosections, which are connected by a hub, are arranged so that the teethof one section shall be opposite the spaces between the teeth oftheother. On arms g g1, extending from or forming part of the slide A, areteeth (afg/5MM, and when the wheel D is adjacent to the front side ofthe case Tl the tooth g5, (on the upward movement of the slide,)striking the under side of one ofthe arms of the adjacent (front)section, will turn the wheel until another arm ofthe same section is innearly a horizontal position, so as to be struck by the tooth g4 whenthe slide descends, thus carrying the wheel further round in the samedirection, the constant reciprocating movement of the slide impartingthus to the wheel (and to the shaft o) an intermittent rotary motion. YVh en one side of a button-hole has been bound and the opposite side hasbeen brought in the path of the needle, the fabric must be moved in ahorizontal direction, the opposite to which it has been carried by theaction of the screw-shaft o, the rotary motion of which must, therefore,be reversed. To do this the wheel D is slid on the shaft t to theopposite side of the case, when the teeth of its rear section will bebrought into action with the teeth h4 h5 on the slide, which willoperate in the same manner as the other teeth, but will turn the wheeland its shaft (and, therefore, the shaft o) in the opposite direction.The wheel D is moved on the shaft t byan L-shaped slide, G, the verticalportion of which extends between the two sections of the wheel and emb1aces the hub, while the horizontal portion rests on the base of thecase and is slotted to receive apin on the lever N, by which yit isadjusted, so that when the said lever is moved (after one edge of abutton-hole is bound) to carry the opposite edge` beneath the needle itwill also reverse the longitudinal movement of the carrier. By employinga wheel, D, having an odd number of teeth, the teeth to be operated onafter each movement of the wheel will occupy nearly a horizontalposition, so as to be more readily operated by the teeth of the slidethan when left at an angle, which results when awheel having' an evennumber of teeth, as shown in my aforesaid patent, is used. At the lowerends of the arms g g1 are bars h 7L, so arranged that when the parts arein the position shown in Fig. 3, prior to the wheel D being moved on theshaft t, the bars, by bearing on the teeth of the wheel, will so adjustthe latter that, on being transferred to the opposite side of the slide,it will not strike the sides of the operating-teeth, but will be broughtin its proper position adj acent to the latter. The bars h, adjustingthe wheel at each ystroke of the needle-arm, will also insure a complete movement of the wheel, which is important in view of the fact thatany variation in the movement of the wheel D would result in a variationin the length of the stitches. The distance between the stitches dependsupon the pitch of the screw o, and may be altered by replacing one screwand its` nut by another of a different pitch. This is readily effectedby loosening the screw g1 and turning back the rear bearing-plate R',when the shaft and its nut may be withdrawn, the pinion F, which isprovided with an angular or liattened socket, being retained in thecase. It will be seen that various ways for adjusting the block It maybe employed.

Before beginning to bind the button-hole the loose ends of the threadsfrom the needle and shuttle are passed first round one pin, j', Fig. 2,and then round the other, and twisted so as to remain in this position,one rthread parallel to each edge of the button-hole, so as to becovered, and bound to the said edge by the bindingstitches, the bindingbeing thereby strengthened. By altering the position of the fulcrum-pino' the throw of the lever M and length of the stitch may be altered atpleasure. This pin may be arranged to slide, or may be adapted to aseries of holes in the lever and base-plate. Instead of connecting theslide A to the operating-arm by a pitman, it may be connected by aforked arm, Bf, Fig. 5, to the needle-bar of the machine 5 or it may, asbefore described, be connected to a lever or slide operated by anymoving part of the machine.

In some classes of m achines-such, for instance, as the Wheeler 8vVilson machinethere is so little space between the needle-arm andworkplate that it is best to arrange the vertical part of the case Tbelow instead of above the workplate, as shown in Fig. 10.

The button-hole maybe worked before cutting; but, should it bedesirable, the clamp may be detached and the button-hole cut beforeworking.

I claim- 1. The combination of the shafto and the wheel D geared withsaid shaft, and consisting of two sections, each having an odd number ofteeth and arranged with its teeth opposite the spaces between the teethof the opposite section, the Whole being operated from a toothed slide,A, substantially as specified.

2. The shaft o, provided with a nut, P, and adapted to bearings so as tobe detachable there from, for the purpose set forth. Y

3. The clamp adapted for attachment to the fabric, in combination withthe sliding and vi-` brating bar H, and with the cam or its equivalent,for securing the clamp to the said bar, as specified, and secured to theoperating-slide and lever so as to be detachable, substantially as andfor the purpose described.

4. The combination, with the plate W, of the pins ff, arranged as andfor the purpose described.

5. The combination, with the shaft o, its cam s, and the lever M, of thebox K operated by the cam, and in which the lever is adjustable, asdescribed.

6. The combination of the shaft o, nut l?, and sliding bar H, carried bybut vibrating independently of the nut, as described.

7. The combination, with the vibrating carrier,

v of a fulcrum-pin, o', adjustable as described.

8. .The arrangement described of the case T', containing thewithin-described devices, with its vertical portion below the horizontalportion, for the purpose set forth, and as illustrated in Fig. l0.

9. The combination, with the box K and lever M, of the plate L, itsdiagonal slot receiving a pin on the lever, and the lever N, or itsequivalent, for operating the plate, as specified.

l0. The combination of the lever M, adjustable laterally, the slide Gr,or its equivalent, adjusting the Wheel D, and the lever N, connected tothe lever M and slide Gr so as to adjust them simultaneously,substantially as set forth.

1l. The combination of the lower and upper plates of the clamp anddevices described, or their equivalents, for raising and depressing theupper plate while maintaining it parallel to the lower, as set forth.

SAMUEL J'. BAIRD.

Witnesses:

F. H. ANTRnvr, CHARLES BRooKs.

